King of Cage fighters at casino

King of Cage fighters at casino

By Stan Grubb Tuesday, January 17, 2006 12:51 PM MST

Do you have a thirst for hard-hitting, heart-pounding competitive action that cannot be quenched through a basic athletic weekend activity or watching a physically demanding sport such as football on television?

Many sports fans around the globe feel the same, that's why those people enjoy witnessing a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competition live. This Saturday night (Jan. 21) the raw energy from some of the finest combat fighters on the planet will be on center stage for “King of the Cage” at Apache Gold Casino in San Carlos at 7 p.m. (Gates open at 5:30 p.m.) According to the organization's web site, tickets are $100 for front row seating and $40 for general admission through King of the Cage officials and web site, or can be purchased at promotional/casino package prices from Apache Gold through today (Wednesday, Jan. 18).

These closed fist, full contact cage fights are unlike anything one has ever seen, and the brutal, non-stop battles bring out the unmatched excitement from its spectators. The fights quickly bring the fans out of their seats early and often, while blood pumps through their veins with every punch thrown.

This Saturday's card includes local fighter and newly-crowned heavyweight champion Robert Beraun as well as numerous other matches such as Joe “Diesel” Riggs squaring off with Robert Sarkozi; Edwin Dewees taking on Mike Ashford and Del Hawkins taking on Cody Grimes.

King of the Cage features only professional, elite fighters. The bouts are competitive, pitting warrior against warrior in hand-to-hand battles of skill, honor and art. It's about punches, kicks, elbows, knees, big knockouts, technical submissions, takedowns and strategy - it's like no other sport.

The raw energy displayed and hard-hitting matches are on par with boxing in terms of drawing power, and King of the Cage events pack houses nationwide.

Despite such events as King of the Cage and its promoters to bring it into the mainstream of sports and increased viewership, allegations have been made through the local print media claiming that event officials and one of the fighters have acted in an unethical manner, in regards to the product and ticket sales.

In the Jan. 4 edition of the Arizona Silver Belt, Ruben Camacho's letter to the editor basically accused Beraun and the organization of ticket scalping (selling at a higher price).

“Every last bit of the man's article is untrue, and my concern is for Robert and his relationship with the people he works for. I just want everyone to know that the claims in the article are all false. Everything is legitimate,” said King of the Cage promoter Tedd Williams. “Actually, all event tickets were sold at or under marked prices. As a standard procedure commonly used at every event venue in America, the Apache Gold Casino paid to discount event tickets for any who would like to drive to the casino and purchase tickets (to encourage daily walk-up, gambling and dining sales) . . . the fact that the casino was selling cheaper tickets, does not mean others were selling tickets at higher prices.”

He added, “I never once spoke to the man who submitted the article. So why did he quote me about the ticket-selling practices or the fighters selling tickets without talking to me?”